Motor control.



No. 629,837. Patnted Aug. 1, I899.

A. H. WHITING.

MOTOR CONTROL.

(Application filed Sept. 27, 1898.; 110 Modoi.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 629,837. Patented Aug. i899. A. H. wnnms.

MOTOR CONTROL.

(Application filed $911? 27, 1898.;

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALLAN n. "WI-urine, on NEW YORK, N. r, Assicnon TO ANDREW L.

3 BIKER, OF SAME PLAcE.

MOTOR CONTROL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Yatent No. 629,837, dated August 1,1899.-

Apnlioation filed September 27, 1898. Serial No. 6 92,040. (No model.)

To all whmn it maly concern.-

Be it known that I, ALLAN, H. WHITINmof New York, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Motor Control, which improvement is fully set forthin In the operation of various classes of mo-f tors it is frequently found necessary or desirable to quickly stop the motor or the mech-, anism driven thereby, or both, by the application of suitable brake devices. At such times the source of power should be cut off from the motor immediately, but through the carelessness or excitement of the operator this is liable to be omitted, with resultant damage to the motor and the driven mechanism. In a like manner great damage is liable to result from overloading the motor--as, for ex-' ample, when the wheels of a motocycle, become stuck in the mud or when a serious obstruction is encountered by any of the 'moving parts. In case the power has through any agency been cut ofi from the motor consid erations of safety for the operator and the machinery render it imperative that when the power is again admitted to the motor it should not be at its full maximum strength, but should be gradually increased from. the zero or minimum point until any desired rate of speed for the motor is secured.

One object of my invention is to avoid the dificulties due to overloading of the motor or the failure of the operator to cut oifthe motive power from the motor on the application of the brakes; and a further object is to render it impossible when power has been cut off to resupply the motor with power'except by commencing at the zero or minimum point and increasing until the desired motive power has been reached.

With these objects in View my invention consistsin means whereby power will be antomatically cut off from the motor when the brake is applied or the motor is overloaded and in the combination of said automaticallyoperated cut-0d means with devices whereby power may be restored to the motor only by commencing at the zero or minimum point and increasing as may be desired.

, For purpose of convenient illustration I have shown my invention in connection with an electric motor and lever brake mechanism; but it willbe'understood that the invention is not limited to any particular class of motors nor to any special form of mechanism oper ;;ated thereby.

In the d rawin gs forming a part of this specification, Figures 1 and 2 are diagrammatic views showing the parts in difterent positions which they may assume. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the controller and cut-oft switch with the controller in position to close the switch and at the same'time cut ofi .the current. Fig. 4 shows the switch closed and the controller in position to turn on the current,

and Fig. 5 shows the switch open and the controller in position to leave the current on.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the views.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A indicates an electric motor, and B- a source of electricity, as a battery, for supplying power thereto.

. C is a controller regulating the supply of current'to the motor, 0 the controller-lever,

and D is a switchin the circuit F, said switch having the stationary jaw or member d. and the pivoted or otherwise-movable member d. The switch is held closed against the tension of the spring 0" by the latch G engaging the latch-pin g onthe pivoted member d.

S is a solenoid, the heavy wire of the main circuit F making a limited number of turns around the core 10 thereof and thence to the battery 13.] Thecourse of this main circuit is from the battery B, the m otor A, the switch D, the controller 0, and around the solenoid 'S to the battery.

I Connected to the movable member dof the switch 1) is a finewire f, which passes with a large number of coils around the solenoidcore w, and thence to a contact-point e and from a second contact e to the battery.

E is'a pivoted brake-lever having connected thereto, but insulated therefrom, a metallic contact-plate E',wiping across the two contact-points e e when the brake-lever is in position to apply a brake, (see F-ig.2,) but normally occupying a position-id contact with but one oi said points, as shown in Fig. 1.

H is a lug or arm onthe controller 0, and

d is a cam projection on the movable part cl of the switch D, the relative positions and proportions of the arm and cam being such that the arm II by impinging on the cam d when the controller is rotated closes the switch against the spring r and permits the catch G to drop over the latch-pin g.

In the position of the parts shown in Fig. l the switch D is closed, so that current may pass therethrough over the line F; but the parts are so arranged that when the arm H wipes the cam 61 as in Figs. 1 and 3, the controller O occupies a position which completely shuts ofi currentthat is,it is at the zero-point. In the position of the parts shown in Fig. 2 the controller is in position to allow a strong current to pass therethrough, but the switch D is open. In neither case'can power reach the motor. 7

Referring now to Figs. 3, 4, and 5, it will be seen thatin the position shown in Fig. 3 the switch is closed, but the controller is at the zero position. In Fig. 4: the controller has been turned from the zero position, and the switch D being closed the circuit through the main line F is complete from the battery to the motor. The core to of the solenoid is so weighted that the normal current passing over the line F and around the solenoid just serves to balance the core. If now the motor should be overloaded from any cause the consequent excess of current from the battery passing over the main line F would advance the core w of the solenoid and lift the latch G, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, permitting the switch-arm d to fiyopen under the stress of the spring 9", whereupon the circuit being opened the solenoid-core w and the latch G would drop back to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5. In this position of the parts the controller 0 is in position to permit current to pass to the motor if the switch D were closed; but to close the switch D the controller must be turned to the position shown in Fig. 3-that is, to the zeropoint-and after the switch is closed the controller may then be returned to admit current to the motor, as shown in Fig. et. It will thus be seen that if the switch D is open it is necessary before it can be closed to turn the controller to the zero position, so that when the switch is closed again no current can reach the motor till the controlleris operated for that purpose. Assuming that the switch D is closed and the controller in position to admit current to the motor, as in Fig. 4, and the brakeE to be in the position shown in Fig. 1, the current passing over the main line F to operate the motor would hold the core w of the solenoid balanced, and no current passes over the fine wire f. If now this brake-lever E be moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 2, the contact-plate E wipes over both contact-points e e, and a portion of the current on the main wire F will pass to the battery over the fine Wire f; but this current by reason of the fact that the fine wire has many more coils around the solenoid than the wire F will act to advance the core 10 and lift the latch G, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 5, and permit the switch D to open. The parts would then occupy the position shown in Fig. 2, it being understood, of course, that the exact position of the controller is immaterial, except that it is turned to admit current to the motor. It now the brake-lever E and the contact-plate E be permitted to return to the position shown in Fig. 1, the other parts will remain as in Fig. 2, with the switch D open and the controller in position to permit current to pass. Before, however, the switch D can be closed it is necessary to turn the controller 0 back to the Zero position, upon which the arm I-I strikes the cam d and closes the switch, as shown in Fig. 1. It will thus be seen that upon the imposition of an overload or the throwing of a brake-lever the switch D is opened, cutting off the current from the motor, and that in either case the controller must be returned to the zero position in resetting or closing the switch D, thereby rendering it impossible to so close the switch as to suddenly readmit a heavy current to the motor, with its attendant ill effects.

I have shown the cut-off which acts upon the imposition of an overload or the throw of the brake-lever as the switch D; but manifestly the form of cut-off may vary with the form of motor employed. I have also indicated the controller by the star 0, it being also whollyimmaterial what form the controller may assume, the essential feature being that some form of cut-off operates with some form of controller, the two being so arranged with relation to each other that the cut-oil is restored to its operative position only by throwing the controller to the Zero or minimum-power-supply position.

What I claim is 1. The combination of a motor, and means for supplying power thereto, with abrake-lever operated independent of said motor and automatic power-cut-off mechanism for said motor operated by the brake-lever upon the application of a brake, substantially as described.

2. The combination of an electric motor, and means for supplying current thereto, with a brake-lever operated independent of said motor and an automatic cut-off device for said motor operated by the brake-lever upon the application of the brake, substantially as described.

t 3. A motor, a power-supply therefor, a cutofi normally admitting power to the motor but automatically cutting off the power upon the application of a brake, a controller independent of said cut-off and regulating the supply of power to the motor, and means on the. controller engaging said cut-off and restoring the latter to its normal position, substantially as described.

at. A motor, a power-supply therefor, a cutoff normally admitting power to the motor cease? s but automatically cutting off the power upon the application of a brake, a controller independent of said cut-off and regulating the supply of power to the motor, and means on the controller engaging said cut-ofi and restoring the latter to its normal position only when the controller is in the position of zero or minimum-power supply, substantially as described.

5. The combination of an electric motor, a current-supply therefor, a switch in the supply-circuit,n1eans tending to open said switch, restraining devices normally holding the switch closed,and means releasing said switch and permitting it to open upon the application of a brake, substantially as described.

6. The combination of an electric motor, a current-supply therefor, a switch in the suppl y-circuit normally held closed against spring tension by a latch, a solenoid having coils forming apart of the supply-circuit, a core in the solenoid in proximity to said latch, said core being balanced by the passage of the normal working current butadvancing to lift said latch upon the passage'of an increased current, substantially as described.

7. The combination of an electric motor, a brake -lever, a current-supply, a controller therefor, a normally-closed switch in the supply-circuit, automatic means for opening said switch upon the throw of the brake-lever,and means automatically operated solely by the controller to close said switch, substantially as described.

8. The combination of an electric motor, a brake-lever, a current-supply, a controller therefor, a normally-closed switch in the supply-circuit, automatic means for opening said switch upon the throw of the brake-lever,and means automatically operated by the controller to close said switch only when the former-is in the position of zero or minimumcurrent supply, substantially as described.

9. The combination of an electric motor, a current-supply, a controller therefor, a switch in the supply-circuit normally held closed against spring tension by a latch, a solenoid with coils forming a part of the current-supply circuit, a core in the solenoid and in proximity to the switch-latch, said core being weighted so as to be balanced by the normal working current,alight wire connected to one member of the switch and passing in coils around the solenoid and thence to the latter, a break in said fine wire, and a switch closing said break upon the turn of a brake-lever, substantially as described.

10. The combination of an electric motor, a main circuit therefor, an automatic electromagnetically-controlled switch in said circuit, said switch operating to open the circuit upon the application of a brake, a controller in said circuit connected with said switch and operating to close the same only when the controller is in the zero or normal position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALLAN I'l. WRITING:

- lVitnesses:

A. L. BIKER, A. O. SOHULZ. 

